Invalid&#39;s toilet



Oct. 5, 1965 L. B. PARSONS INVALID'S TOILET SEAT Filed July 8, 1965INVENTOR United States Patent 3,209,375 INVALIDS TOILET Louis BirdseyParsons, Sandy Hook, Conn. Filed July 8, 1963, Ser. No. 293,292 5Claims. (Cl. 4-237) This invention relates to an improved toilet and,more particularly, to such a toilet especially adapted for use byinvalids and convalescents.

Invalids and convalescents are often forced to use bedpans because oftheir inability to sit upright as required by the standard toilet. Theuse of bedpans is not only unsanitary but is unpleasant for the patientand for his attendants. Past efforts to solve these problems have ofteninvolved the use of accessories mounted on standard toilets. Theseaccessories interfered with use of the toilet by well persons or elsethey had to be designed for removal and storage.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide atoilet bowl which may be used by invalids and convalescents. Otherobjects are to provide such a toilet bowl which is adapted for use bythe patient in either a reclining or a sitting position; which isequally suited for use by well persons; which is sturdy and sanitary;and which is easily operable by an attendant.

The manner in which the foregoing objects are achieved will be moreapparent from the following description, the appended claims and thefigures of the attached drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a toilet incorporating thisinvention showing its back rest in the lowered position in solid linesand in the raised position in phantom lines; and

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of a toilet incorporating theinvention showing the back rest in the raised position.

In the illustrated embodiment of this invention, a floormountedporcelain toilet bowl is provided with a hinged back rest 12 which issecured thereto by means of suitable hinges 14 and has a lengthsufiicient to accommo date a human torso. The back rest is movable toeither a lowered horizontal position, as illustrated by solid lines inFIG. 1, or to a raised vertical position, as illustrated by the phantomlines of FIG. 1 and as shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. In order toprovide the necessary clearance for the back rest, the flush box 16 isside-mounted as illustrated, and connected to the toilet bowl 10 bymeans of a suitable water pipe 18.

The back rest 12 includes a pair of retractable legs 20 formed by theangled ends of a cylindrical rod 22 which is rotatable Within a pair ofarcuate brackets 24. The legs 20 are thus pivoted to rotate about thecenter line of rod 22 to either lie against back rest 12 or extendtherefrom. The legs may be fixed in their extended position by means ofthe hinged brackets 26. The back rest 12 may be latched into the desiredposition by means of a sliding latch 28 comprising a rod bent in theapproximate shape of an inverted U. The arms of latch 28 are slidable ina pair of tubular arcuate bracket guides 30 mounted on the back rest 12,and, when the back rest is in the raised position as illustrated in FIG.2, the ends of the latch arms extend downwardly into a pair of latch ingbracket sockets 32 which are mounted on the rear of the porcelain bowl10. The guides 30 and the sockets 32 are separated sufliciently toprovide clearance for the rotation of back rest 12 between its raisedand lowered positions. A cross brace 34 is secured to the arms of latch28 and prevents them from seating too deeply into guides 30 and sockets32, keeping the latch raised sufiiciently to function as an eflicientbrace for the back rest. In the illustration of FIG. 2, latch 28 isshown slightly raised to better illustrate its construction.

When the back rest 12 is in the raised position, as illustrated in FIG.2, it may be lowered by simply raising the latch 28, thereby sliding thelatch arms within guides 30 and lifting their lower ends out of thelatching sockets 32. The back rest 12 is lowered by pivoting it aboutits hinges 14, and the legs 20 are pivoted in their brackets 24 andextended to the solid line position illustrated in FIG. 1, where theyare locked in place by the hinged brackets 26, which are extended atsuch time. The legs 20 are then positioned on the floor as illustratedin solid lines in FIG. 1. In order to raise the back rest 12, it ismerely lifted upwardly and swung into the vertical position, asillustrated by the schematic arrow of FIG. 1. The hinged brackets 26 arefolded, allowing the legs 20 to swing downwardly against the back restand the sliding latch 28 is lowered so that its leg ends once again areinserted into the latching sockets 32.

The toilet of this invention may be utilized by a patient with its backrest either in the lowered or raised position. In either case, theinvention dispenses with the necessity for a bedpan. Also, when apatient desires to use the toilet with the back rest in the raisedposition but lacks the ability to raise himself to a sitting position,he may be placed upon the toilet in a reclining position with the backrest lowered. The back rest may then be raised, automatically raisingthe patients torso to the sitting position. It is easier for theattendant to raise the relatively stifi back rest than it is to handlethe body of a person.

It will be noted that the sliding latch 28 serves an important dualfunction in this invention. It serves both as a latch to lock the backrest 12 in its raised position, and as a brace for the back rest tofurther strengthen it. Accordingly, it is advisable to make this memberof relatively sturdy material.

It will be apparent that a number of variations and modifications may bemade in this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Forexample, legs 20 are illustrated as being unitary with the rod 22. Itwill be apparent, however, that these legs could be separate andindividually hinged and latched into position. Furthermore, a single legcentered on the back rest could be employed, rather than a pair of legs.Also, the toilet may be designed so that back rest 12 may be secured inintermediate positions between the horizontal and vertical. Otherstructural details may be changed to suit the configuration of theporcelain bowl and many of the fittings, such as hinges, may be variedas desired by the designer. Accordingly, it will be understood that theforegoing description is intended to be illustrative only, rather thanlimiting. This invention is limited only by the scope of the followingclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An invalids toilet which comprises: a toilet bowl; a back restpivotally secured to the rear of said toilet bowl for movement betweenat least a vertical position and a horizontal position extendingoutwardly and rearwardly from said toilet bowl; means for latching saidback rest into its vertical position; and means for supporting said backrest in its horizontal position.

2. The toilet of claim 1 wherein said means for latching comprises: barmeans mounted on said back rest for longitudinal movement toward andaway from said toilet bowl; and socket means on said toilet bowlpositioned to receive said bar means.

3. The toilet of claim 2 wherein said bar means is in the shape of aninverted U and wherein said socket means are positioned to receive thearms of said U.

4. The toilet of claim 1 wherein said means for supporting comprises legmeans hingedly secured to said back rest.

5. An invalids toilet which comprises: a floor-mounted toilet bowl; aback rest having a length sufiicient to support a human torso pivotallysecured to the rear of said toilet bowl for movement between at least avertical position and a horizontal position extending outwardly andrearwardly from said toilet bowl; first and second guide means mountedon the rear of said back rest defining, respectively, first and secondparallel passageways therethrough; first and second socket means on therear of said toilet bowl defining, respectively, first and secondrecesses therein, said first recess being axially aligned with saidfirst passageway and said second recess being axially aligned with saidsecond passageway; latching bar means including first and secondparallel arms slidably mounted, respectively, in said first and secondguide means and insertable, respectively, into said first and secondsocket means when said back rest is in its raised position, saidlatching bar means further including a connecting member between saidarms in supporting relationship to said back rest when in its verticalposition; leg means pivotally secured to the rear of said back rest atthe end thereof removed from said toilet bowl, said leg means having afirst position folded against said back rest in its vertical positionand a second position extended outwardly against the floor to supportsaid back rest in its horizontal position; and locking means arranged toselectively retain said leg means in its second position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LAVERNE D.GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

1. AN INVALID''S TOILET WHICH COMPRISES: A TOILET BOWL; A BACK RESTPIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE REAR OF SAID TOILET BOWL FOR MOVEMENT BETWEENAT LEAST A VERTICAL POSITIN AND A HORIZONTAL POSITION EXTENDINGOUTWARDLY AND REARWARDLY FORM SAID TOILET BOWL; MEANS FOR LATCHING SAIDBACK REST INTO ITS VERTICAL POSITION; MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID BACKREST IN ITS HORIZONTAL POSITION.